From NKAA, Notable Kentucky African Americans Database (main entry)

Webster County (KY) Enslaved, Free Blacks, and Free Mulattoes, 1860-1880

Webster County, located in western Kentucky, was formed in 1860 from portions of Henderson, Hopkins, and Union Counties; and is bordered by five counties. It was named for Daniel Webster, a U.S. Congressman who was opposed to the War of 1812.

The seat of Webster County is Dixon, incorporated in 1861 and named for Archibald Dixon, a U.S. Senator from Kentucky and the 12th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky.

The 1860 Webster County population was 6,449, according to the U.S. Federal Census, excluding the enslaved. The population increased to 14,249 by 1880. Below are the number of slave holders, enslaved, free Blacks, and free Mulattoes for 1860-1880.

1860 Slave Schedule
  • 256 slave owners
  • 790 Black slaves
  • 293 Mulatto slaves
  • 11 free Blacks [most with the last name Tye, 3 Brooks, 1 White]
  • 22 free Mulattoes [most with the last names Brooks, Hambleton, Lisle, and Rose]
1870 U.S. Federal Census
  • 923 Blacks
  • 367 Mulattoes
  • About 18 U.S. Colored Troops listed Webster County, KY, as their birth location.
1880 U.S. Federal Census
  • 1,154 Blacks
  • 0 Mulattoes
For more see the Webster County entry in The Kentucky Encyclopedia, edited by J. E. Kleber; the  Jesse Oliver Mays Collection; and "Samuel Watson" in Homeless, Friendless, and Penniless: the WPA interviews with former slaves living in Indiana, by R. L. Baker.  See the "U.S., Colored Troops Military Service Records, 1863-1865" and other military service records in Ancestry for names and additonal information.

See a photograph of the Sebree Colored School and its historical marker at The Historical Marker Database.

Item Relations

Cited in this Entry

NKAA Source: The Kentucky encyclopedia
NKAA Source: Jesse Oliver Mays collection (archival material)
NKAA Source: Homeless, friendless, and penniless : the WPA interviews with former slaves living in Indiana
NKAA Source: Ancestry (online)

Related Entries Citing this Entry

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Cite This NKAA Entry:

“Webster County (KY) Enslaved, Free Blacks, and Free Mulattoes, 1860-1880,” Notable Kentucky African Americans Database, accessed October 11, 2026, https://nkaa.uky.edu/nkaa/items/show/2602.

Last modified: 2024-06-18 18:59:55